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2. Division of Zechariah 63
usually know what at least the consonantal text was even if we cannot
understand exactly what it means. We shall accept the MT unless there
is strong support from the versions for an alternative reading. We
shall not allow structure to determine either the division of the text or
a textual reading. 1
Zechariah 1-8
1.1-6: Introduction
Despite the fact that this section shows many signs of being redactional
it is intended in its present form as an introduction to the words of
Zechariah, and is, in any case, too short to subdivide. Even if
Mowinckel is right in thinking that there is a core which came from
the prophet himself it is impossible to isolate this. The whole section
seems to have been composed for its present position rather than elaborated
after the book was compiled. 2
1.7-17: The First Vision plus Oracles/Teaching
The vision is dated 'On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh
month...in the second year of Darius' and consists of a man riding
on a red horse among the myrtle trees, with horses of three different
colours behind him. Zechariah asks about them and the angel who
spoke with him says he will show him what they are. The man
A.T. Jansma (An Inquiry into the Hebrew Text and the Ancient Versions of
Zechariah 9-14 [Leiden: Brill, 1949], p. 58), for example, lists 23 references where
the versions give a better sense than the MT in the context. But even here, as
W. Rudolph says, 'die Schwierigkeiten liegen . .. weniger im Zustand des Textes
als in seiner Deutung' (Haggai—Sacharja 1-8—Sacharja 9-14—Malachi [Giitersloh:
Gerd Mohn, 1976], p. 165). He feels compelled to emend the text in 9.13, 15, 16,
17; 10.2, 5; 11.15; 12.5; 13.5; 14.6, 18. Of these, only 10.5 is among the 23
references mentioned above. We need to be cautious about uncertain or obscure
readings, but feel that it is better to err by being too accepting of the MT than the
reverse. The most detailed textual discussion is to be found in B. Otzen, Studien uber
Deuterosacharja (Copenhagen: Prostant apud Munksgaard, 1964), pp. 231-72 and
M. Saeb0, 'Die deuterosacharjanische Frage: Eine forschungsgeschichtliche Studie',
ST 23 (1969), pp. 115-40 (122-32).
1. There are several places where it is tempting to choose a particular division or
reading because it yields a pleasing structure, e.g. 'their iniquity' instead of 'their
eye' in 5.6. See also p. 72 n. 2 below.
2. See Chapter 3 below.